The light, oh, that warm light. It hung above you, swinging side to side. The sway was relaxing as you slowly sunk deeper and deeper into the abyss. Soon, that unparalleled light grew brighter as it wrapped its fingers around you. It caressed you like a mother to her newborn, resting your head in its bosom.
It permeated through your consciousness, resonating with your being.
A soft, mellow buzz traversed your mind's domain, swaying like the tranquil buzzing of a forest. You wanted to stay there forever, wishing to drift into the peaceful void. Unfortunately, that's not the fate you found yourself in.
...
..
.
A gasp left Tokita's body as he sat up and entered a coughing fit, struggling to shake it. He looked and noticed his surroundings. It seemed to be a hospital, with medical beds and equipment in his room. He counted twelve beds, accounting for the one he found himself in.
The quality of the room was worse for wear, with the white patterned flooring being obviously aged with the grime and effects of aging spreading throughout it.
The light that hung above Tokita flickered sightly with a haze-like effect, being more of an annoying yellow buzz than a heavenly white light.
The bed that he laid on wasn't the worst thing he'd ever had the pleasure of laying on, but it gave the effect of laying on a pile of smooth stones that occasionally dug into his back; he couldn't explain why.
There was a metallic desk not too far away from him, with ancient-looking tools that looked like they were covered in every type of rust and disease on the planet rested on top. Tokita grimaced at the thought of those tools being used on him.
A woman in what appeared to be a nurse's uniform noticed he had awoken. She rushed over to him, standing over him. She spoke in a concerned voice, "Ah, are you feeling alright?" She asked him. She had long golden blond hair, with almost no noticeable blemishes or markings on her face. She truly was beautiful, a being with seemingly no imperfections. Her body was quite voluptuous as well, with her chest practically resting on top of Tokita.
Tokita struggled to hold in his flushed expression that had risen up. It was difficult for him to hold eye contact with her; her proportions overwhelmed him. He forced himself to focus before he coughed out a hasty response.
"Y-Yeah, I'm feeling fine." Tokita barely got out, struggling to keep eye contact with the nurse.
"Are you sure? Your face is quite red." She responded, a concerned expression resting on her.
"Seriously, I'm fine!" Tokita exclaimed energetically, waving his hands in front of his face.
His eyes widened, focusing on the hands that he waved, stopping and analyzing them. He thought about it for a moment. He was more than fine; he didn't feel any pain or discomfort at all!
In haste, he checked his wounds, noticing all the burn scars and cuts received in his fight with Nolan seemed to have vanished. He double-checked, then triple-checked, until he had fully embraced reality.
"How..." Tokita began to ask.
"You're asking why your wounds have already been healed?" The Nurse answered, slightly surprised by the lack of knowledge Tokita held. Tokita nodded lightly, locking eyes with the nurse in a desperate attempt to show his need for an answer. "Well, you would've been given the standard treatment, which, even with our healers, would've taken a week or two to heal you completely." The Nurse answered, pausing for a moment to let Tokita speak.
"What do you mean? I wasn't given the standard treatment?" Tokita asked; a mixture of perplexion and slight confidence plastered onto his face.
"As I said, you would've been given the standard treatment, but a man in rather high places here in Setale offered to pay for our higher-priced options." The Nurse responded, turning around and walking over to a wooden cabinet that was attached to the bleakly colored walls, opening it.
She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a vial with a green liquid. "We used this, a hyper synthetic causal substance developed by Lady Arjula here at Setale." The Nurse finished, holding up the vial for Tokita to see.
"So that liquid...healed everything?" Tokita asked, still in disbelief. Even though they weren't there, the damage he had taken against Nolan was still there. He could still imagine the pain of having half his body incinerated.
"Correct; although I suppose 'healed' is the incorrect descriptor, the Miracle turns the damaged appendage and 'resets' it back to a point where it wasn't damaged." The Nurse explained as she showed off the vial.
"If you have an item like that, that could've prevented any of your Knights from dying!" Tokita exclaimed, letting his emotions take control of him for a brief moment. The thought that in that vial existed a liquid that could remedy any damage angered him because it would've been more than enough to save Charles.
"Not just any Knight or common folk can normally obtain it. It takes an excruciating amount of energy for Lady Arjula to create her doses. Because of this, it's marketed at high prices that only the higher-ranked Knights can afford." The Nurse spoke in a matter-a-fact tone as if she was a teacher speaking to a student.
"So none of the other fighters received this..miracle solution?" Tokita pondered, his tone beginning to rise slowly.
"That'd be incorrect; Ian Hawkwalker also received the Miracle from the same person that bought a dose for you." The Nurse corrected.
"Ian's alright? That's good to hear." Tokita nodded with contempt.
"The only other fighter that got the Miracle was Sir Shu Xiangli; although he had no donor, he bought it himself."
"I thought he was some crazy strong guy, he actually got hurt?" Tokita asked.
"Oh, no-no-no. Apologies for giving that impression; he grazed his upper shoulder and decided that he needed a full dose." The Nurse spoke nonchalantly.
Tokita was perplexed. Unlike himself and Ian, who fought their hearts out, which resulted in heavy injuries, this Shu guy used an entire dose simply for getting grazed?
"I...see..." Tokita stated, with him finding it difficult to put into words how annoyed he was. He then let out a loud sigh, turning to the Nurse.
"Well, how does it even work?" Tokita asked, referencing 'Miracle'.
"Well, we aren't informed of how it works completely since it's only for Lady Arjula to know, but from what I'm told, it works by affecting the temporal strain to target damages on the body."
"I...I'm going to act like I know what that means." Tokita chuckled nervously, getting a similar reaction from the nurse.
"Well, do you have any other questions?" The Nurse asked, fixing her posture and standing up straight, locking eyes with the sitting up Tokita.
"Well, Where am I?" Tokita asked, his eyes glazing over the plain yellowish walls, the dirty, grime-covered checkered floorboards, and the ceiling that appeared to be made out of smooth stone that had been thousands of years old, then locked his eyes back with the Nurse.
"This is the Medical Ward of Setale, specifically the basic section. You were brought here after your fight with Mr. Chronbridge." The Nurse responded.
"So it is practically a hospital, a little less quality though." Tokita thought to himself.
He gripped his shirt, which had been changed out to something similar to a hospital gown. He pressed against it, feeling the light fabric in his grip. The Nurse then nodded her head and turned around to leave the room.
"I must attend to the other fighters. Feel free to remain in bed until you feel fully rejuvenated." The Nurse responded once again.
"Wait!" Tokita shouted, startling the Nurse. She turned her head to Tokita with a slightly confused head tilt.
"D-Did...Did I win?"Tokita asked, his messy hair covering the desperation in his golden eyes. The Nurse waited a couple of seconds before smiling.
"Yes, and I'd go as far as to say you had the most entertaining fight of the entire event." The Nurse stated. She waved before leaving the room.
That was all Tokita needed to hear. His efforts in that fight hadn't gone to waste, he had been noticed! He threw his hands in the air, clenching them as tight as he could. He did it! he continued to scream in his head. Surely Akane was watching, right!?
He rested his head against the pillow's rough but embracing grasp, feeling far more content and at peace than he'd been when he woke up.
For a little while.
Suddenly the doors flung open, and two individuals entered the room. One appeared to be a woman with medium-length grey hair that she wore in a ponytail that reached her lower back, with two goat horns on her head followed by an angry expression on her face, and the other appeared to be...a humanoid dog?
"Are you seriously considering this!?" The woman with grey hair blundered out. She had a remarkably pissed-off expression on her face as she screamed while following the dog-man. Her unique yellow eyes focused on Tokita with pure spite and anger.
"I've already spent the gold to have him fully healed. I will not repeat myself; calm yourself, Aila." The Dog-man spoke, referring to the grey-haired young lady as Aila.
Aila grumbled to herself, containing her rage as the man approached Tokita.
"It's great for us to finally meet, Tokita. I am Grensvall Hesine." He reached his hand out to Tokita, with Tokita shaking it in turn.
Since Tokita had a better chance to look at him, he realized how menacing this Grensvall truly was. His fur was a lighter grey, with a sort of mechanical glasses on his face above his snout. The hair on the sides of his face reached down to his chest, with his blue cloak covering most of it. The hand he used to shake Tokita's hand had been mechanical, with several small dials and wires running through it. He wore a bead necklace with a sort of blue crystal attached to it.
On Grensvall's back were two swords as it appeared, or was it one? It was difficult to tell. Above the handle of the sword was a pressure valve, which confused Tokita once he thought about it.
"Thank you...Sir?" Tokita asked questioningly. Grensvall gave a short laugh.
Tokita wasn't sure if he'd caught it or not, but he could've sworn when the man came in, he said he was the one that paid for him to be healed.
"Feel free to call me anything, son. I merely came here with a proposition for you." Grensvall stated as he pulled out a chair and placed it by Tokita's bed, sitting down in it. He placed his hands together in his lap and looked toward Tokita.
"Oh, and what would that be?" Tokita asked.
"I saw your fight against Mr. Chronbridge. Even though he outmatched you in strength and destructive power, you hung on with sheer determination and won the fight." Grensvall commented. "Some of the other Captains viewed that as reckless and a negative aspect, but I don't view it that way."
"I see...-Wait, did you say, other Captains!?" Tokita exclaimed.
"My apologies; I must've forgotten to bring it up. I am the Captain of the Silver Steel Knight Division." Grensvall stated.
Tokita's jaw dropped while his eyes widened like a child on Christmas. He was talking to one of the Captains!
Tokita straightened his posture, affixing his back with the steel backing of the bedframe to lay against it.
"Uhm...I have a question." Tokita asked excitedly.
"Of course, ask away." Grendsvall nodded.
"Were you the one who had me healed?" Tokita questioned.
"I did indeed; I also did the same to the Hawk. You both have astounding potential." Grensvall stated simply.
"Ah-! Thank you very much!" Tokita exclaimed, attempting to bow by placing his forehead into the bedsheets.
"There's no need to bow, young man. Do you have any other questions?" He asked, squinting his eyes, making him look like an old tired Dog.
Tokita hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Well...Did a girl named Akane join your division as well?" Tokita asked. Grensvall looked into Tokita's eyes for a moment before sighing. "Not super tall, sleek black hair, bright red orbs for eyes?" Tokita stated, describing her.
"I would've loved having such gifted talent in my Division, but unfortunately, she went to the very top; the royals," Grensvall stated. "They're the #1 Knight Division in Setale, with no other Division being comparable."
Tokita had figured the royals were something crazy, but the very top? Akane practically got in without even trying!
"What Rank is your division...?" Tokita questioned nervously.
"Oho, The Silver Steel Knights are currently in last place." Grensvall laughed.
"L-Last place!?" Tokita thought to himself. He thought that his fight with Nilan had placed him anywhere, but he was still at the bottom of the barrel.
No! Tokita wouldn't think of this as a negative. He still got somewhere, a position into one of the Knights. He'd bet Charles would've been proud of him right now. The thought of him made Tokita a bit sad.
"I know that us being in last place may be a bit of a turn-off, but I'd still like to ask you if you'd like to join," Grensvall asked.
"I'd be honored to, sir!" Tokita exclaimed, responding extremely quickly. "But if I'm allowed to ask one more question, why do you want me in your squad, sir?"
Tokita was thrilled to join the guild, mainly because of the depressing thought that he'd have to move away from chasing Akane. Not that he'd given up, he'd simply climb the ranks if he needed to!
Grensvall smirked with a sigh of contentment. He turned to Aila. "Aila, could you inform the others that we have a new member?" Grensvall asked.
"Tsk, fine!" Aila responded before leaving in a huff of rage.
"Did I do something to her...?" Tokita asked, confused by her constant showings of rage toward him.
"Aila simply thinks low of you at this moment; I'm sure she'll warm up to you," Grensvall stated.
"Ah..." Tokita nervously chuckled. He scratched the back of his head as Grensvall pushed himself off of the chair and stood up.
"Unfortunately, you missed the ceremony where you were announced as one of the fighters who passed, but at least you could get more rest in." Grensvall chuckled, scratching the long hair on the sides of his snout.
"There was a ceremony!? And I slept through it!?" Tokita groaned, sighing loudly.
Grensvall continued to laugh under his breath. "Well, I'll leave Aila outside of the building to escort you to the Division Hall once you're cleaned up," Grensvall stated, walking to the slightly damaged doors of the room.
"Doesn't she hate me, though-" Tokita responded, raising his arm in a questioning manner.
"By the way, you should take a bath. You stink." Grensvall jeered before leaving the room.
"Ah..." Tokita mumbled, lowering his arm as he sniffed himself.